I like to think of myself as a fairly accomplished shouter of songs. The other week, for example, I accurately sang probably 75% of the notes to Celine Dion's The Power of Love while in the shower, and the other day I sang the part of Cabaret about goin' like Elsie without my voice cracking/glass shattering. Glee star Amber Riley is a human reality check to the notion that I am capable of singing any songs with any degree of skill. Case in point: her DNC-opening rendition of The Star Spangled Banner.

Riley announced her convention-opening gig via Twitter on September 1st. After discouraging a generation of American Idol wannabes with her pipes, she later admitted that, like everyone in America who is not that racist old lady who thinks Michelle Obama "doesn't look like a first lady," she kind of crushes on the Mom-in-Chief.